Episode 45
Sign up for Classnotes e-mail alerts

(December 18, 2008) School counselors are in a unique position to support high school students in navigating the process to get into college. Yet particularly for students in high-minority, under-resourced schools, many things unnecessarily get in the way. Josie Danini Cortez, M.A., an IDRA senior education associate, highlights findings from IDRA research about what students need from their school counselors to help them get into and pay for college. Josie is interviewed by Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., director of the IDRA Texas Parent Information and Resource Center. Send comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or fill out form online at www.idra.org/Podcasts. Sign up to receive free e-mail notices when new episodes are available.

Listen to this podcast.

See resource links and show notes. (22.1 MB; 00: 23:57 min.)

Send feedback by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or online.

Resources

InterAction – Outlined 31 Policy Solutions for College Access in Texas
Forum series created policy solutions for better access and success in higher education, IDRA

Ensuring Student Success – Counselors’ Showcase
PowerPoint presentation by IDRA

Show Notes

* Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., director of the IDRA Texas Parent Information and Resource Center, welcomes Josie Danini Cortez, M.A., an IDRA senior education associate, for a discussion on the key findings in IDRA research on what students need to hear from their school counselors as they consider options for attending college.

* Josie provides background to the IDRA research on college access for minority and low-income students.

* Josie identifies seven areas of education that are in need of reform in order to realize a "K-20 reality" for all students:

1. Preparation
2. Access
3. Institutional persistence
4. Affordability
5. Institutional resources
6. Graduation
7. Graduate and professional studies.

* Josie talks about a commissioned study that IDRA conducted for San Antonio College that examined how the school could more effectively recruit and retain students.

* Josie shares recommendations from IDRA's research on how high school counselors can best help students prepare for college:

• Counselors must make students feel valuable.
• Counselors should help students to articulate their dreams and career plans and make sure their college choices match the colleges they're considering.
• Counselors must provide students with practical aspects of potential colleges, including transportation and parking.
• Counselors should ensure students have timely, regular access to computers and a reliable Internet connection.
• Counselors must provide students with the necessarily financial information about colleges, including scholarship and work-study options.

* Josie explains how the private sector can better support students in their quest to success -- and pay for -- higher education.

* Josie discusses the disconnect between high school and college and the lack of information that many high school counselors have about requirements for particular higher-education schools.

Show length: 23:57

Related podcasts

* College Access for Low Income and Minority Students – October 14, 2008

* Framing Systems Change for Student Success – March 2, 2007

* Learnings from the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program – June 28, 2007

Your feedback
We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Use IDRA's online form, or send an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Listen to every episode!
To ensure you don't miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.